Fw: Emailing: Costochondritis Symptoms & Treatment Medical Questions, Weight Loss, Pregnancy, Drugs, Health Insurance

[Guest guest]

Honey, my doctor told me that the pain, and tightness was caused by Costochondritis. Mine is getting better; however, I still cannot wear a bra because I had severe chest wall damage.

Good luck....love you....Lea

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~```

Lea

Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 9:31 AM

Subject: Emailing: Costochondritis Symptoms & Treatment Medical Questions, Weight Loss, Pregnancy, Drugs, Health Insurance

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May 29, 2006 Costochondritis: Symptoms & Treatmentby SirGan

SteadyHealth.com - Health Topics Forum Index -> Respiratory tract disorders and diseases -> Other Respiratory Disorders

Costochondritis is an inflammation of the junctions where the upper ribs join with the cartilage that holds them to the breastbone or sternum. It is in fact an inflammation of the connective tissue between the breastbone and the ribs. What exactly is cartilage? Cartilage is a tough rubbery tissue that lines and cushions the surfaces of joints. Although most of the people think that every pain localized in chest is linked to the myocardial ischemia or infarction, this condition also causes localized chest pain that you can reproduce by pushing on the cartilage in the front of your ribcage.

The pain may be more noticeable in sitting or reclining positions, and stress is known to aggravate this condition. The fact is that costochondritis is a relatively harmless condition and usually goes away without treatment. It is never accompanied with swelling! The inflammation can involve cartilage areas on both sides of the sternum, but usually is on one side only. It is a very similar condition to one syndrome called Tietze's syndrome, with only one difference- Tietze's syndrome is an inflammation involving the same area of the chest, but also includes swelling. The discomfort of costochondritis often lasts only a few days.

Incidence of the condition

The fact is that costochondritis is a common cause of chest pain in children and adolescents. In fact- it accounts for 10-30% of all chest pain in children. Annually, doctors evaluate about 650,000 cases of chest pain in young people aged 10-21 years. The peak age for the condition is 12-14 years.

Symptoms of costochondritis

Costochondritis is specific condition which is characterized by pain and tenderness in the places where ribs attach to breastbone. In most cases, the pain is sharp, though it can also feel like a dull, gnawing pain. Any of the 7 costo-chondral junctions may be affected, and more than 1 site is affected in 90% of cases. Pain associated with costochondritis occurs most often on the left side of your breastbone, though it can occur on either side of your chest.

It may radiate to back or abdomen and is more common on left side. The fact is that the most common site of pain is fourth, fifth, and sixth ribs and it increases as you move your trunk or take deep breaths. Conversely, it decreases as your movement stops or on quiet breathing.

Other signs and symptoms of costochondritis may include:

Pain when taking deep breaths Pain when coughing Difficulty breathing The reproducible tenderness you feel when you press on the rib joints is a constant feature of costochondritis. Without this tenderness, a diagnosis of costochondritis is unlikely.

When called Tietze's syndrome, the pain is accompanied by redness and or swelling in the areas most tender. When associated with an autoimmune disease such as PBC, it may linger for years or a lifetime.

Possible causes of costochondritis

The fact is that in most of the cases- the cause of costochondritis is classified as 'idiopathic,' or unknown. This means that there is no identifiable cause for the condition.

Traumatic injury

The most common cause of costochondritis that can be attributed to a source is costochondritis as the result of a traumatic injury. For example, car accidents in which the driver strikes the steering wheel with chest! This can definitely cause costochondritis by injuring the ribs and cartilage on the front of the chest. Repetitive minor trauma has also been proposed as the most likely cause.

Viral infections

Viral infections, usually upper respiratory infections, have also been identified as a cause of costochondritis.

Bacterial infections

Costochondritis may occur after surgery and be caused by bacterial infections. This happens mostly to people who use IV drugs or who have had surgery to their upper chest. After surgery the cartilage can become more prone to infection, because of reduced blood flow in the region that has been operated on.

Fungal infections

Fungal infections are rare causes of costochondritis.

Fibromyalgia

The fact is that recurring costochondritis could be a symptom of fibromyalgia. People with fibromyalgia often have several tender spots. The upper part of the breastbone is a common tender spot.

Pain from other areas of your body

Although many people don’t know about this -pain signals can sometimes be misinterpreted by brain, causing pain in places far away from where the problem occurs. Doctor might called this as "referred pain." Pain in your chest can sometimes be caused by problems with the bones in your spine compressing the nerves.

Differential diagnosis

There is only one condition that could be wrongly interpreted as a costochondritis- it is a heart attack or myocardial ischemia! That’s why; there are some tricks that every patient should know about making difference between these two conditions!

The pain of a heart attack is often more widespread, while costochondritis pain is focused on a small area. Heart attack pain usually feels as though it's coming from under your breastbone, while costochondritis pain seems to come from the breastbone itself. Heart attack pain may worsen with physical activity or stress, while the pain of costochondritis remains constant.

The fact is that patient should waste time because every chest pain is an emergency.

Other Problems to be considered:

Pericarditis Pleurodynia Polychondritis Fibromyalgia

Very similar condition is also Tietze’s syndrome. This syndrome, on the other hand, exhibits swellings at the rib-cartilage junction and costochondritis has no noticeable swelling. Neither condition involves pus or abscess formation.

Tietze’s syndrome usually affects the junctions at the second and third ribs and the swelling may last for several months. The syndrome can develop as a complication of surgery on your sternum months to years after the operation.

When to seek a medical help?

Medical help should be definitely seek if a person feels some of the following symptoms:

Trouble breathing High fever Signs of infection such as redness, pus, and increased swelling at the rib joints Continuing or worsening pain despite medication

These symptoms are generally not associated with costochondritis:

High fever not responding to fever-reducers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) Signs of infection at the tender spot such as pus, redness, increased pain, and swelling Persistent chest pain of any type associated with nausea, sweating, left arm pain, or any generalized chest pain that is not well localized

These symptoms can be signs of a heart attack. If you are not sure of your condition, go to the emergency department.

Diagnosis of costochondritis

Physical examination

Doctor should first conduct a physical exam to diagnosis costochondritis. He should ask a patient to describe pain and what influences it or trigger it. The pain of costochondritis can be very similar to the pain associated with heart disease, lung disease, gastrointestinal problems and osteoarthritis. Doctor will also palpate along your breastbone for areas of tenderness or swelling.

Radiological imaging

Costochondritis generally can't be seen on chest X-rays or other imaging tests used to see inside your body but, sometimes, doctor orders these tests or others to rule out other conditions.

Lab Studies

No specific studies exist for costochondritis. The clinical scenario and the most likely differential diagnoses should guide lab orders.

Treatment of costochondritis

Medications

non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications

Costochondritis well responds to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve).

Steroid medications

Patient may also be given a local anesthetic and steroid injection in the area that is tender, if normal activities become very painful and the pain does not respond to medications.

Antibiotics

Infectious costochondritis should be treated initially with IV antibiotics. Afterward, antibiotics by mouth or by IV should be continued for another 2-3 weeks to complete the therapy.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants, specifically a category of medicines called tricyclic antidepressants, if pain is making it difficult to sleep at night.

Muscle relaxants

It is proven that these muscle relaxants can also help ease pain.

Surgery

Surgical removal of the sore cartilage may be required if there is no response to medical therapy. Doctor should refer a patient to a surgeon for consultation should this option be considered necessary.

Self-care tips

For many patients- it can be frustrating to know that there's little that doctor can do to treat their pain associated to costochondritis. To help relieve the pain of costochondritis, patient should try to:

Rest more and avoid activities that make pain worse. Exercise more. Although it may seem contradictory to rest it is proven that gentle exercises, such as walking or swimming, can improve your mood and keep your body healthy. Usage of a heating pad. A heating pad should be applied to the painful area several times a day.

Prognosis and Prevention

The prognosis for patients with costochondritis is excellent. After 1 year, about half of patients still may have discomfort; approximately one third report tenderness with palpation. The fact is that, because inflammatory costochondritis has no definite cause, there is no good way to prevent it.

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What your doctor forgot to tell you about gallbladder removal Costochondritis What Is High Blood Pressure?

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[Guest guest]

Honey, my doctor told me that the pain, and tightness was caused by Costochondritis. Mine is getting better; however, I still cannot wear a bra because I had severe chest wall damage.

Good luck....love you....Lea

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~```

Lea

Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 9:31 AM

Subject: Emailing: Costochondritis Symptoms & Treatment Medical Questions, Weight Loss, Pregnancy, Drugs, Health Insurance

Find a Doctor Ask Experts Articles Encyclopedia Blogs Tickers Search Register FAQ Log in

May 29, 2006 Costochondritis: Symptoms & Treatmentby SirGan

SteadyHealth.com - Health Topics Forum Index -> Respiratory tract disorders and diseases -> Other Respiratory Disorders

Costochondritis is an inflammation of the junctions where the upper ribs join with the cartilage that holds them to the breastbone or sternum. It is in fact an inflammation of the connective tissue between the breastbone and the ribs. What exactly is cartilage? Cartilage is a tough rubbery tissue that lines and cushions the surfaces of joints. Although most of the people think that every pain localized in chest is linked to the myocardial ischemia or infarction, this condition also causes localized chest pain that you can reproduce by pushing on the cartilage in the front of your ribcage.

The pain may be more noticeable in sitting or reclining positions, and stress is known to aggravate this condition. The fact is that costochondritis is a relatively harmless condition and usually goes away without treatment. It is never accompanied with swelling! The inflammation can involve cartilage areas on both sides of the sternum, but usually is on one side only. It is a very similar condition to one syndrome called Tietze's syndrome, with only one difference- Tietze's syndrome is an inflammation involving the same area of the chest, but also includes swelling. The discomfort of costochondritis often lasts only a few days.

Incidence of the condition

The fact is that costochondritis is a common cause of chest pain in children and adolescents. In fact- it accounts for 10-30% of all chest pain in children. Annually, doctors evaluate about 650,000 cases of chest pain in young people aged 10-21 years. The peak age for the condition is 12-14 years.

Symptoms of costochondritis

Costochondritis is specific condition which is characterized by pain and tenderness in the places where ribs attach to breastbone. In most cases, the pain is sharp, though it can also feel like a dull, gnawing pain. Any of the 7 costo-chondral junctions may be affected, and more than 1 site is affected in 90% of cases. Pain associated with costochondritis occurs most often on the left side of your breastbone, though it can occur on either side of your chest.

It may radiate to back or abdomen and is more common on left side. The fact is that the most common site of pain is fourth, fifth, and sixth ribs and it increases as you move your trunk or take deep breaths. Conversely, it decreases as your movement stops or on quiet breathing.

Other signs and symptoms of costochondritis may include:

Pain when taking deep breaths Pain when coughing Difficulty breathing The reproducible tenderness you feel when you press on the rib joints is a constant feature of costochondritis. Without this tenderness, a diagnosis of costochondritis is unlikely.

When called Tietze's syndrome, the pain is accompanied by redness and or swelling in the areas most tender. When associated with an autoimmune disease such as PBC, it may linger for years or a lifetime.

Possible causes of costochondritis

The fact is that in most of the cases- the cause of costochondritis is classified as 'idiopathic,' or unknown. This means that there is no identifiable cause for the condition.

Traumatic injury

The most common cause of costochondritis that can be attributed to a source is costochondritis as the result of a traumatic injury. For example, car accidents in which the driver strikes the steering wheel with chest! This can definitely cause costochondritis by injuring the ribs and cartilage on the front of the chest. Repetitive minor trauma has also been proposed as the most likely cause.

Viral infections

Viral infections, usually upper respiratory infections, have also been identified as a cause of costochondritis.

Bacterial infections

Costochondritis may occur after surgery and be caused by bacterial infections. This happens mostly to people who use IV drugs or who have had surgery to their upper chest. After surgery the cartilage can become more prone to infection, because of reduced blood flow in the region that has been operated on.

Fungal infections

Fungal infections are rare causes of costochondritis.

Fibromyalgia

The fact is that recurring costochondritis could be a symptom of fibromyalgia. People with fibromyalgia often have several tender spots. The upper part of the breastbone is a common tender spot.

Pain from other areas of your body

Although many people don’t know about this -pain signals can sometimes be misinterpreted by brain, causing pain in places far away from where the problem occurs. Doctor might called this as "referred pain." Pain in your chest can sometimes be caused by problems with the bones in your spine compressing the nerves.

Differential diagnosis

There is only one condition that could be wrongly interpreted as a costochondritis- it is a heart attack or myocardial ischemia! That’s why; there are some tricks that every patient should know about making difference between these two conditions!

The pain of a heart attack is often more widespread, while costochondritis pain is focused on a small area. Heart attack pain usually feels as though it's coming from under your breastbone, while costochondritis pain seems to come from the breastbone itself. Heart attack pain may worsen with physical activity or stress, while the pain of costochondritis remains constant.

The fact is that patient should waste time because every chest pain is an emergency.

Other Problems to be considered:

Pericarditis Pleurodynia Polychondritis Fibromyalgia

Very similar condition is also Tietze’s syndrome. This syndrome, on the other hand, exhibits swellings at the rib-cartilage junction and costochondritis has no noticeable swelling. Neither condition involves pus or abscess formation.

Tietze’s syndrome usually affects the junctions at the second and third ribs and the swelling may last for several months. The syndrome can develop as a complication of surgery on your sternum months to years after the operation.

When to seek a medical help?

Medical help should be definitely seek if a person feels some of the following symptoms:

Trouble breathing High fever Signs of infection such as redness, pus, and increased swelling at the rib joints Continuing or worsening pain despite medication

These symptoms are generally not associated with costochondritis:

High fever not responding to fever-reducers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) Signs of infection at the tender spot such as pus, redness, increased pain, and swelling Persistent chest pain of any type associated with nausea, sweating, left arm pain, or any generalized chest pain that is not well localized

These symptoms can be signs of a heart attack. If you are not sure of your condition, go to the emergency department.

Diagnosis of costochondritis

Physical examination

Doctor should first conduct a physical exam to diagnosis costochondritis. He should ask a patient to describe pain and what influences it or trigger it. The pain of costochondritis can be very similar to the pain associated with heart disease, lung disease, gastrointestinal problems and osteoarthritis. Doctor will also palpate along your breastbone for areas of tenderness or swelling.

Radiological imaging

Costochondritis generally can't be seen on chest X-rays or other imaging tests used to see inside your body but, sometimes, doctor orders these tests or others to rule out other conditions.

Lab Studies

No specific studies exist for costochondritis. The clinical scenario and the most likely differential diagnoses should guide lab orders.

Treatment of costochondritis

Medications

non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications

Costochondritis well responds to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve).

Steroid medications

Patient may also be given a local anesthetic and steroid injection in the area that is tender, if normal activities become very painful and the pain does not respond to medications.

Antibiotics

Infectious costochondritis should be treated initially with IV antibiotics. Afterward, antibiotics by mouth or by IV should be continued for another 2-3 weeks to complete the therapy.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants, specifically a category of medicines called tricyclic antidepressants, if pain is making it difficult to sleep at night.

Muscle relaxants

It is proven that these muscle relaxants can also help ease pain.

Surgery

Surgical removal of the sore cartilage may be required if there is no response to medical therapy. Doctor should refer a patient to a surgeon for consultation should this option be considered necessary.

Self-care tips

For many patients- it can be frustrating to know that there's little that doctor can do to treat their pain associated to costochondritis. To help relieve the pain of costochondritis, patient should try to:

Rest more and avoid activities that make pain worse. Exercise more. Although it may seem contradictory to rest it is proven that gentle exercises, such as walking or swimming, can improve your mood and keep your body healthy. Usage of a heating pad. A heating pad should be applied to the painful area several times a day.

Prognosis and Prevention

The prognosis for patients with costochondritis is excellent. After 1 year, about half of patients still may have discomfort; approximately one third report tenderness with palpation. The fact is that, because inflammatory costochondritis has no definite cause, there is no good way to prevent it.

COMMENTS

Readers posted 1 comments for this articleView comments Write your comment

ARTICLE RATING

[ 16 voters ]

Rate this article:

badaveragegoodvery goodexcellent

FROM THIS AUTHOR

Reducing incidence of stroke with thrombolytics Proper usage of your health insurance Impacts of bad dental health Helping people cope with their chronic illness Going-To-Bed- Late Impact on Health and Academic achievement Dealing with your partner's sexual dysfunction Different types of self-defense sports (Martial Arts) Constipation & Laxative Usage How does meditation work? Television impact on children's knowledge and behavior

RELATED ARTICLES

What your doctor forgot to tell you about gallbladder removal Costochondritis What Is High Blood Pressure?

SYNDICATE FEED

Article sources

www.mayoclinic.com www.emedicine.com

Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only.It is not meant to substitute for medical advice provided by your physician or other medical professional.If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your physician or health care provider.

Privacy Policy | Registration terms | Partners | Advertise with us | Contact us | Forward latest newsletter to your friends

LIFEFORM SOCIAL COMMUNITY NETWORK

SteadyHealth.com :: Medical Questions & Online Health Community

RunningForums :: The Need To Speed

H-Desk.com :: PC Security Matters - PC Tech Community

RealPoor.com :: MMORPG Gaming & Trading Center

RealCool.Biz :: The Most Comprehensive Business Community

XTourist.com :: Traveling Without Moving

Discussion boards licensed and powered by ZoneX v. 3.0Development supported by LifeForm Inc. by SteadyHealth.com ©2005-2007